Azernews.Az

Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) agreed with the Italian Ministry of Environment to extend the date of submission of Environmental & Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) application in Italy for an additional nine months - until September 2013, Trend news agency reported referring to TAP.

TAP launched a stakeholder consultation in 2011 that has involved talking with authorities, municipalities, and local citizens living in and around the area of Lecce and San Foca.

"The consultation has attracted significant interest and TAP is continuing to receive feedback from many of its stakeholders. Extending the ESIA submission date will enable TAP to continue this important dialogue," TAP's report said.

TAP submitted its ESIA application in March, 2012 to the Italian Ministry of Environment. "Following this, TAP voluntarily suspended its application in order to gather further information that had been requested, and rescheduled necessary work to take place outside of the summer months to respect San Foca's main tourist season. TAP will now submit this additional information by the latest, in September, 2013," the report said.

TAP project is designed to transport gas from the Caspian region via Greece and Albania and across the Adriatic Sea to southern Italy and further into Western Europe. Gas to be produced within the second phase of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz gas condensate field development is considered as the main source for TAP.

TAP's initial pipeline capacity will be 10 billion cubic metres per year, expandable to 20 billion cubic metres per year. TAP's shareholders are EGL of Switzerland (42.5 percent), Norway's Statoil (42.5 percent) and E.ON Ruhrgas of Germany (15 percent).